Popular communication platform Discord has announced it will globally implement a controversial age verification system in March under the guise of protecting children, effectively eliminating user anonymity. The platform will request face scans or ID documents from users in the name of “security.”
Mandatory Age Verification System Coming
Discord announced today that starting in early March, it will globally implement a system called “teen-by-default settings” for all new and existing users. However, examining the system’s details reveals this is far more than an innocent security measure.
Under the new system, users will be required to go through a mandatory age verification process to change certain settings, access age-restricted channels, or receive certain message requests. Discord offers users two options: facial age estimation through face scanning or submitting ID documents.
Discord claims the system is “privacy-focused” and provides these guarantees:
- Face scan videos will not leave the device
- ID documents will be deleted immediately in most cases
- Age verification status will not be visible to other users
However, these promises don’t change the fact that the platform is requesting biometric data or official ID documents from users. Even face scanning algorithms that “don’t leave the device” process users’ biometric data and send the results to Discord. The claim that ID documents will be “deleted immediately” obscures the fact that documents are first sent to third-party verification companies.
Discord announced this radical change citing youth safety as justification. But the truth is, teaching families how to properly use the internet and platforms would be a far more effective solution than censorship and mandatory identity verification to protect children.
The platform restricts access to features like “content filters,” “age-gated spaces,” and “message requests” to adults who have completed age verification. In essence, it’s forcing all users to share their identity to use the platform’s full features.
A Blow to Anonymity and Freedom of Expression
Discord’s decision represents a serious blow to user anonymity, which has been one of the platform’s core values since its founding. The platform is now preparing to expand this system, which it tested last year in the United Kingdom and Australia, worldwide. While Discord’s Head of Product Policy Savannah Badalich states “We design with teen safety as a core principle,” she’s actually normalizing the compromise of all users’ privacy.
Education or Control?
Discord also announced it will establish a “Teen Council” consisting of 13-17 year olds. But the real question is: If youth safety is truly the priority, why aren’t families being educated on proper platform use? Why is censorship and mandatory identity verification prioritized over parent education?
The truth is that child protection rhetoric has become a classic excuse for digital platforms to gain more control over their users. Discord’s new system is nothing more than an attempt to collect personal data and eliminate user anonymity under the guise of security.
The mandatory age verification system starting in March will leave millions of Discord users in a dilemma: share their identity or be deprived of the platform’s essential features.